What Is A Dissertation Proposal?

This is it. This is the time you finally win over your committee members for them to let you research what you have always wanted to find out. It’s completely normal to be as nervous as you probably are right now, but the most important thing is to remain calm and not to freak out even if you’re here because your former proposal has been rejected. Let’s look at the general outline of a dissertation proposal and see how we could face them.

Topic:

Your topic should not only be about something that has never been researched, but also something that matters. Just because no one has ever found out about a certain question in mind, does not mean it will be of future relevance. It must be as intriguing as it is unique, and beneficial to your field of study.

Questions:

Your proposed questions need to be compelling. If your topic is interesting, then you will not have a problem with this part. You should also try and discuss them with your supervisor before proposing them officially.

References:

You should always make sure you have some potential references in mind before your presentation. What kind of references will they be? And why? All of this must be borne in mind before you put yourself out there so as to avoid any awkward silence or stuttering.

Research methods:

Depending on the kind of thesis, you need to know exactly what kind of measures you will be taking and whether the methods will be empirical or non-empirical. All of this will positively imply that you have done your research very well and that you have everything prepared before your proposal.

Potential outcomes:

This is the most important part. Like we said, this is not solely about how unique your topic is. It could be thought that has never occurred to anyone, and one that should not be for that matter. It needs to have some concrete aims that will benefit your field of study, and this will be in direct proportion to getting accepted.

Remember to spend as much time as you can putting your proposal together to reap the rewards and properly form the foundation of your dissertation outline. Before getting started, make sure you ask your supervisor about the style and the tone of your research proposal.